Assignment 3: Demand and Supply

The use of E-Books has increased in recent years, especially with the advent of mobile E-Readers.  A marketing research firm recently developed the following supply and demand schedules for E-books:

Assignment Guidelines:

Using Microsoft (MS) Excel, construct a graph showing supply and demand in the E-Book market based on the data above. (Save this file because you will re-work it later in the assignment.) When finished, copy and paste or import your graph into an MS Word document.

(Tutorials for working with MS Excel and MS Word can be found through the Tutoring Services and Tutorials link at the top of the page.)

In your MS Word document, below your imported graph, respond to the following:

1. Explain how the Laws of Supply and Demand are illustrated in this graph. 
2. Describe the equilibrium price and quantity in this market. 
3. Assume that the government imposes a price floor of $12 in the E-Book market. Explain what would happen in this market. 
4. Assume that the price floor is removed and a price ceiling is imposed at $6. Explain what would happen in this market. 
5. Now, assume that the price of E-Readers (used with E-Books) drops from $60 by fifty percent. How would this change impact the demand for E-Books? Explain your answer. Then, reconstruct your original graph to show this change and place it in your MS Word document below your explanation.   

Remember, quotations, paraphrases, and ideas you get from books, articles, or other sources of information should be cited using APA style. Help with citing sources can be found through the Academic Resources page under Course Home.

NO PLAGIRISM…..

Final Paper

To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Final Paper link in the left navigation. 

Focus of the Final Paper

The final assignment for the course is a Final Paper on two cases. The Final Paper should demonstrate understanding of the reading as well as the implications of new knowledge. The eight- to ten-page paper should integrate readings and course discussions into work and life experiences. It may include an explanation and examples from previous experiences as well as implications for future applications. 

Read the case study at the end of Chapter 12 and the case study at the end of Chapter 13, and thoroughly answer all the following questions. Supplement your answers with scholarly research using the Ashford Online Library. Each case study should be addressed in four to five pages, resulting in a combined Final Paper of eight to ten pages. 

Chapter 12 Case Study: The Realco Breadmaster

1. Develop a master production schedule for the breadmaker. What do the projected ending inventory and available-to-promise numbers look like? Has Realco “overpromised”? In your view, should Realco update either the forecast or the production numbers?
2. Comment on Jack’s approach to order promising. What are the advantages? The disadvantages? How would formal master scheduling improve this process? What organizational changes would be required?
3. Following up on Question 2, which do you think is worse, refusing a customer’s order upfront because you don’t have the units available or accepting the order and then failing to deliver? What are the implications for master scheduling?
4. Suppose Realco produces 20,000 breadmakers every week, rather than 40,000 every other week. According to the master schedule record, what impact would this have on average inventory levels?

Chapter 13 Case Study: Supply-Chain Challenges in Post-Earthquake Japan

1. What are some of the advantages of the supply chain used in the Japanese auto industry before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami? What were some of its disadvantages?
2. Is Toyota’s plan for a “foolproof” supply chain consistent with the Lean production philosophy? Explain.
3. Can you think of any additional ways Toyota (and its competitors in the Japanese auto industry) can improve upon the company’s plan to create a “foolproof” supply chain?
4. What impact do you think Toyota’s plan will have on the way it handles relationship management in its supply chain?

Writing the Final Paper 

The Final Paper:

• Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, in addition to the title page and reference page, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
• Must use at least four scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.
• Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

You will apply important microeconomics concepts toward the competitive strategies of an organization that operates in an industry of your choice. You will evaluate the differences between market structures and identify a group of competitive strategies consistent with the market structure that best aligns with the market in which the organization competes. You will assess how the market structure positively and negatively affects the firm and evaluate the efficacy of the structure’s competitive strategies.

Select an industry. Identify an organization in that industry. You may use the company you used for the Week 3 Learning Team assignment or you may select a new organization. Your selected organization must be submitted for instructor approval.

Identify the market structure in which this organization competes. Clearly indicate why the market structure was decided upon, and how this market structure differentiates from the other alternatives.

• How might the company you selected find itself working with organizations in the same industry that are an oligopoly, perfect competition, monopoly, or monopolistic market structure. Examine the different sectors with an industry and how market structure may vary within those sectors.

Identify three or more competitive strategies of your choice that may be used by the organization to maximize its profits over the long run. Evaluate the efficacy of these strategies in the market structure you identified.

Make recommendations related to the strategies the organization might consider to maximize its profits.

Select one of the following assignment options:

Paper

Write a 1,400- to 1,750- word paper.

NO PLAGIARISM

REFERENCES INCLUDED

APA FORMAT

***statman** will step up to the challenge.